Israel has signed a grain agreement with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to form a first-of-its-kind regional wheat supply alliance with Muslim countries, referring to Israeli media.

The agreement will guarantee all of Israel’s wheat needs against the backdrop of the global food crisis and the ongoing war in Ukraine. The deal is reportedly “long-term” and was developed due to Israel’s desire to diversify its sources of wheat.

Israel imports more than 90% of its wheat consumption annually, mostly for animal feed. The war in Ukraine, and even earlier, the economic consequences of COVID-19, have made it much more difficult for the Jewish state to import goods, leading to a sharp rise in commodity prices.

In exchange for wheat, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will receive advanced agricultural technologies from Israel.

“As part of our vision for food security... today we are taking another important step towards providing agricultural products, most of which are not produced in Israel,” said Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter. “In this period of global uncertainty, many countries are interested in cooperation with us, based on common interests. We will continue to create more partnerships between Israel and other countries, thereby ensuring food security for the citizens of Israel.”

According to the UN, by 2050 there will be about two billion people suffering from hunger in the world. This will be due, among other things, to climate change and reduced wheat production while the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.